After colliding with Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen’s Monaco GP came to an abrupt end.
Kevin Magnussen believes Sergio Perez was at fault for their collision in Monaco on Sunday, for not leaving a car’s width heading up Beau Rivage.
Magnussen and Perez tagged wheels after the first corner and the Red Bull of Perez was sent spearing into the barriers, which the Mexican said “completely destroyed” his car and he aired his frustration at the incident not being investigated by the stewards for Magnussen’s part in it. The Haas driver, however, feels differently.
Kevin Magnussen: ‘I expected him to be leaving a car width’
Additional reporting by Sam Cooper
Perez called their crash a “massive incident” as he was sent into the barrier up the hill at Beau Rivage, with one trackside photographer needing to be seen at the on-site medical centre before being released.
Although no drivers suffered any injuries, three of them chose to retire from the race, including Nico Hulkenberg. Unfortunately, Hulkenberg was involved in the incident when Perez spun out and collided with the Armco barrier.
Magnussen is of the opinion that he had positioned his car sufficiently next to the Red Bull, thereby deserving the entire width of the car for racing purposes.
“After analyzing the situation, I observed that my car was positioned closely behind Perez’s car. However, when he abruptly veered towards the wall, I was forced towards it as well, resulting in a collision between us,” explained Magnussen to Sky F1 following the race.
I had faith that he would make room for me since I was already present. It’s not a corner where you abruptly enter, but rather a turn on a straight path, so it’s necessary to have a vehicle or else the other person is left with no choice.
In my perspective, I personally witnessed being pushed against the wall.
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From my perspective, I found myself positioned on the inside, with my front wheel aligned with his rear wheel, when suddenly he veered towards the wall.
I anticipated him to leave enough space for a car since I was already present. It’s not as if I suddenly appeared out of nowhere. I was there, and despite that, we ended up heading straight towards the wall. So I’m uncertain about what happened.
Regarding Hulkenberg, he expressed his frustration over team radio after being forced out of the race, stating, “That was unnecessary.” However, he ultimately attributed it to a racing incident.
When asked about his emotions after being eliminated from the race, Hulkenberg expressed his disappointment to the media, including PlanetF1.com. He explained that the immediate reaction is feeling devastated and frustrated because everyone in the team puts in a great deal of effort and time. Despite the frustration, he acknowledged the need to move on and focus on the upcoming race in Montreal.
In my opinion, it can be considered a racing incident to a certain degree. Given the circumstances of being on the first lap, navigating a street circuit with limited visibility, and drivers not always being fully aware of each other’s positions, such occurrences are bound to happen, albeit regrettably.
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